Adjustable gap protective device



Feb. 13, 1934. sKlPPER r AL 1,946,815

ADJUSTABLE GAP PROTECTIVE DEVICE FiledJune 6,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 13, 1934. E. M. SKIPPER ET AL 1,946,815

ADJUSTABLE GAP PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed June 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i. 76 77 I 2'4 L 3 T 7 55 j i Z2 Z5 7 l Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE GAP PRO'IEC'IIVEv DEVICE Application June 6, 1931. Serial No. 542,675 15 Claims. (01. 175-30) The invention relates to protective devices for high tension transmission lines and has for its general object the provision of a novel arrangement and mounting of arc extinguishing or suppressing members, devices or fuses characterized by the feature of adjustability of the extinguishers whereby the length of the gaps may be varied. An important object of the invention is to provide a protective device embodying electrodes, one in electrical connection with a conductor and the other grounded and cooperating with the first one to define a gap which may be jumped by an arc, one electrode being formed as a suitable means which will extinguish the arc and being adjustable to vary the length of the gap.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a protective device of this character adapted to embody expulsion fuses which may, for instance, be of the same general character as those disclosed in the co-pending application of Howard A. Frey, filed September 11th, 1929 and given Serial No. 391,816, though it is conceivable that extinguishing devices of some other type, and not necessarily fuses, could be utilized if preferred, there being no particular limitation in this respect especially as expulsion fuses and the like are in themselves well known in the art.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide means mounted for instance at the upper end of a string of suspension insulators and grounded for mounting thereon a plurality of fuses in such manner that they are capable of movement so as to vary the distance between the ends of the fuses and the electrode with which they cooperate and from which they are spaced.

Another object is to provide an arrangement of this character in which the fuse holders are slidable upon a support provided for them.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protective apparatus of this character in which the fuses are latched in place so as to be readily capable of withdrawal and replacement when blown.

Yet another object is to provide a protective device of this character embodying novel hardware for mounting it at the top of a string of suspension insulators so as to provide a proper and adequate connection. 5 An additional object is to provide a construction and arrangement of this character which will be simple and inexpensive to make, easy to install and adjust, positive in action, efficient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of our protective device,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof showing it installed in combination with a string of insulators,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view on a considerably larger scale,

Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof with a shifted position of one of the fuses shown by dot and dash lines, and

Figure 5 is a detail section taken through the center to illustrate the mounting more clearly, certain brace elements being omitted.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates insulators arranged in a string or chain and adapted to be suspended from a tower or the like, not shown, for supporting a conductor, likewise not shown but which is so customarily held in a clamp connected at the lower end of the string of insulators. In the present instance we have shown two actual insulators connected by dot and dash lines 11 to indicate that there may be an indeterminate number in the series.

Suitably mounted at the lower end 01 the string of insulators and in electrical connection with the conductor is an electrode 12 here shown as a grading ring and which is provided for the purpose of taking the arc in the event of a flashover. Moreover rings of this character have a grading effect on the electro-static held about the insulators in a manner well known in the art.

As a matter of fact we do not claim any novelty in the use or construction of this ring itself 7 except in so far as it cooperates with the fuse means to be described.

The structure constituting the subject matter of the application is mounted at the upper end of the string and is intended to be in electrical connection with the ground through the tower or other support from which the insulators are suspended. The device is here shown as comprisinga relatively stationary support which may be cruciform and which is represented as comprising a pair of arms 13 arranged in crossed relation at their centers and having arcuate downwardly curved ends 14. Where the arms 13 intersect they may be secured together in any desired manner. Clearly there is no necessity for making this support in two parts as it is obvious that it could be constructed as a casting if desired. Centrally the members 13 are shown as formed with a circular opening 15 through which extend upstanding ears 16 which rise from a plate or disk 17 located on the underside of the lowermost member 13 and which is unsecured thereto so as to be relatively rotatable. For bracing purposes it is preferable to provide angle brackets 18 located against the outer sides of the ears 16 and these are spaced from the top side of the upper member 13 for a reason to be described. However, it will be readily understood that these brackets may be omitted as indicated in Figure 5. A bolt 19 traversing the ears and equipped with a nut 20 is provided for the purpose of suspending the protective device and the string of insulators from whatever support is used. At its underside the diskl'l is shown as carrying a ball head device 21 adapted to be engaged within a socket and the uppermost insulator 10. Naturally there is no limitation as to the use of insulators of the ball and socket type as they might just as well be of the clevis or other variety. The feature of importance is that we provide the device comprising the parts 16 to 21 as a unit or coupler adapted to be interposed between the string of insulators and the supporting tower or other structure.

Carried by the downturned arcuate ends 14 of the arms 13 and adjustable therealong by a slidable movement are adapter members 22 which carry yokes 23 within which are metallic sleeves or sockets 24 formed to receive the metallic ferrules 25 on the upper ends of arc suppressing or extinguishing devices which may be, but which are not necessarily, expulsion fuses 26 which may themselves be of any ordinary or pre ferred construction. The means for detachably holding these sockets in the yokes 23 may comprise headed studs 27 and 28 projecting from the sides of the socket 24 and engaged within angular slots 29 in the sides of the yoke. These slots are of peculiar form and are so constructed that when the socket is disposed at the proper angle the studs may enter the slots, it being necessary to move the socket into the yoke so that the studs 2'! will be disposed within the farther ends 30 of the slots so that the studs 28 may enter. Other slots 31 and 32 communicate with the slots 29 and after the socket has been inserted as above described it is pulled out slightly to engage the studs 27 and 28 within these additional slots or notches 31 and 32, respectively, as clearly illustrated particularly in Figure 4. To hold the fuse or are suppressing means in place each socket is shown as equipped with a leaf spring 33 carrying a projection 34 adapted to engage the edge of the ferrule 25. The other ends of the fuses 26 carry ferrules 35 which constitute electrodes and which are electrically connected with the ferrules 25 through whatever mechanism, material or the like is provided interiorly of the fuses. As mentioned above the fuses may be of the same type disclosed in said co-pending application of Howard A. Frey but we do not wish to be limited to such precise construction as it is readily conceivable that these fuses might be filled simply with a fire extinguishing substance which would be liberated when the ferrules 35 are fused or otherwise destroyed upon the occurrence of an are between them and the grading ring 12.

The adapter members 22 have associated therewith clamping plates 36 which are located against the concave sides of the curved ends 14 of the arms 13 and which are held in clamping relation by bolts 3'7 which pass therethrough and through the adapters, these bolts being equipped with nuts 38. The curved ends of the arms are formed with longitudinal slots 39 for the passage of these bolts so that upon loosening the nuts 38 the adapters, carrying the fuses, may be slid along the arms to vary the angular relation of the fuses with respect to the string of insulators and con sequently to vary the distance between the lower ends of the fuses and the grading ring.

In the operation, it is of course apparent that in the event of a flash-over the arc will jump from the ferrule 35 of one or more of the fuses to the grading ring 12. Regardless of the exact construction of these fuses the fact remains that the arc will be extinguished. Naturally the ferrule 35 of the blown fuse is destroyed or forced off and this will constitute an indication to in spectors travelling along the line that a flashover has occurred and that the blown fuse needs to be replaced. Owing to the provision of the latch mechanism for holding the fuses in place it is clear that a blown one may be easily taken out and a new one inserted. Moreover the rotatability of the supporting disk 17 carrying the ears 16 with respect to the arms 13 which carry the fuses permits the fuse assembly as a whole to be rotated to bring the blown fuse in a position most convenient for replacing. The angle members 18, being free from the fuse supporting arms 13 but yet attached to the ears 16, will operate to prevent or at least limit any excess swaying or rocking of the fuse assembly with respect to the insulator string, for instance in the event of high winds or any other force tending to upset the equilibrium.

It is conceivable that the use of the device is not limited to strings of insulators of the suspension or any other type as the scheme could be applied to bus bars or any other electrical equipment where flash-overs might occur.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that we have thus provided a very simple fuse mounting and arrangement which will not only be rotatable for the purpose specified but which will also possess the great advantage of permitting variation in the length of the spark gap so that adjustment in this respect may be made whenever it is found desirable. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exempliflcation of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. Protective means for a plurality of insulators for supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the plurality of insulators, and a carrier rotatably mounted at the other end and equipped with a plurality of fuses cooperating with said electrode to define air gaps providing paths'for arcs in the event of a flashover.

2. Protective means for a plurality of insulators for supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the plurality of insulators, and a carrier rotatably mounted at the other end and equipped with a plurality of fuses cooperating With said electrode to define air gaps providing paths for arcs in the event of a flashover, the fuses being adjustable to vary their distance from said electrode.

3. Protective means for a plurality of insulators for supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the plurality of insulators, and a carrier rotatably mounted at the other end and equipped with a plurality of fuses cooperating with said electrode to define air gaps providing paths for arcs in the event of a flashover, said fuses being slidably adjustable upon the carrier to vary their angular relation to the insulators and consequently the distance from their ends to the electrode.

4. Protective means for a plurality of insulators for supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the plurality of insulators, a carrier rotatably mounted at the other end and equipped with a plurality of fuses cooperating with said electrode to define air gaps providing paths for arcs in the event of a flashover, and means for securing the fuses at selected points on the carrier for varying the distance between them and the electrode.

5. In a protective apparatus for a series of insulators equipped at one end with an electrode, comprising a carrier at the other end of the series of insulators, and fuses mounted on the carrier and adjustable radially thereupon to vary the distance between their ends and the electrode.

6. A protective apparatus for a plurality of insulators supporting a conductor at one end and grounded at the other end, comprising an electrode mounted at one end, and a carrier mounted at the other end, socket means adjustably mounted on the carrier, and fuses mounted within said socket means and projecting toward said electrode.

7. In combination with a plurality of insulators supporting a conductor with respect to a grounded support, protective means comprising metallic members located at the ends of the insulators, one metallic member being in electrical connection with the ground and the other being in electrical connection with the conductor, a plurality of fuses carried by one metallic element and projecting toward the other to define paths for arcs in the event of a flash-over, and means for adjusting the distance between the fuses and the cooperating metallic member spaced therefrom.

8. A protective apparatus for a plurality of in-- sulators supporting a conductor at one end and grounded at the other end, comprising an electrode mounted at one end, and a carrier mounted at the other end, socket means adjustably mounted on the carrier, fuses mounted within said socket means and projecting toward said electrode, and securing members engaging the socket means and movable along the carrier.

9. In a protective apparatus for a series of insulators, an electrode at one end of the series, a carrier at the other end having curved end portions formed with longitudinal slots, retaining members on said curved ends engaged by securing elements passing through said slots, and fuses mounted in said retaining members and projecting toward the electrode.

10. Means for protecting electrical apparatus from a flash-over, comprising spaced electrodes, 9. carrier on one electrode, retaining means on the carrier, and are suppressing devices carried by said retaining means and cooperating with the other electrode to define spark gaps and to be disposed in the path of an arc flashing over from one electrode to the other, said retaining means being adjustable to vary the length of the gaps.

11. Protective means for insulating means for supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the insulating means, a carrier mounted at the other end of the insulating means and equipped with a plurality of fuses cooperating with said electrode to define air gaps providing paths for arcs in the event of a flashover, and means for varying the distance between the free ends of the fuses and the electrode.

12. A protective apparatus for insulating means supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode mounted at one end of the insulating means, a carrier mounted at the other end of the insulating means and equipped with a fuse cooperating with said electrode to define an air gap providing a path for an arc in the event of a flash-over, and means for adjusting the fuse with respect to the carrier for varying the distance between the free end of the fuse and the electrode.

13. A protective apparatus for insulating means supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode at one end of the insulating means, a carrier at the other end, means mounted on the carrier adapted to hold a fuse for cooperation with the electrode, and means for adjusting said last named means with respect to the carrier.

14. A protective apparatus for insulating means supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode at one end of the insulating means, a carrier at the other end of the insulating means, a fuse mounted on the carrier and extending at an angle with respect to the axis of the insulating means, and means for varying the angularity of the fuse whereby the distance between its free end and the electrode may be adjusted.

15. A protective apparatus for insulating means supporting a conductor, comprising an electrode at one end of the insulating means, supporting means at the other end of the insulating means, a plurality of fuses mounted on said supporting means for cooperation with said electrode, and means for adjusting the distance between the fuses and said electrode.

EDWARD M. SKIPPER. ROBERT L. MCCOY. 

